


The Dragonborn Series: Year One

by FluppyGoo



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternative Universe - Female Draco, Book 1: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Book One, Gen, Slytherin Harry, draco x harry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-30
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2018-10-25 19:32:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10770960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FluppyGoo/pseuds/FluppyGoo
Summary: When Harry meets two wonderful friends Hermione and Ron, something queer happens, the sorting hat puts him in the rivaling house. Harry is now in Slytherin, but was it because he met a girl named, Draco Malfoy? Follow the adventures of their first year at Hogwarts. Harry / Fem Draco AU





	1. The Boy Who Lived

**Author's Note:**

> This story is based on Alternative Universe where Draco was born as a girl. She will have the same personality, but with different touches to it. Harry will not be weak in this story, but he will suffer from what all MC suffer, despair and so on. I don't want to make mary-sues. The beginning will be kind of the same story you know so far. Not all, but please bare with me. That's all for now. I hope we can create something good. Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I DOn'T own "Harry Potter" or anything related to it.
> 
> P.S. 
> 
> Don't expect any Yaoi! This is an alternative Universe with a straight pairing.

The sun rose on the front gardens of the Dursleys' home, through front door; it crept into their living room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night when Mr. Dursley had seen that fateful news reports, about the owls. Only the photographs on the mantelpiece really showed how much time had passed.

Ten years ago, there had been a lots of pictures of what looks like a large pink beach ball, wearing different-colored bonnets — but Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby, the next photographs showed a large blond boy riding his first bicycle. In another photo he was on a carousel at the fair, another show him playing a computer game with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother. The room held no sign of another boy lived in the house, not at all. Yet the famous Harry Potter was still living there, asleep at the moment, but not for long.

His Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice that made the first noise of the day. "Up! Get up! Now!" Harry woke with a start. His aunt rapped on the door again. "Up!" she screeched. Harry heard her walking toward the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan being put on the stove. He rolled onto his back and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been a good one. There had been a flying motorcycle in it. He had a funny feeling he'd had the same dream before.

His aunt was back outside the door. "Are you up yet?" she demanded. "Yeah, I'm up." said Harry. "Well, get a move on, I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday." Harry groaned. "What did you said?" his aunt snapped through the door. "That is an Important day. . ." Dudley's birthday — he hadn't forgotten, he just didn't care at all.

Harry got slowly out of bed and started looking for socks. He found a pair under his bed and, after pulling a spider off one of them, put them on. Harry was used to spiders, because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them, and that was where he slept, most of the time he found two or three on his books next to the bed. Yes- the books were his only friends. Harry slowly began to learn new things, such things which a boy his age shouldn't.

When he was dressed he went down the hall into the kitchen. The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday presents. It looked as though Dudley had gotten the new computer he wanted, not to mention the second television and the racing bike. Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry, as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise — unless of course it involved punching somebody. Dudley's favorite punching bag was Harry, but he couldn't often catch him. Harry didn't look it, but he was very fast.

He broke from the daydream he was having and continue on with his chores. If you can call them chores, he was more of a slave in this house. Harry was frying eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his mother. Harry put the plates of egg and bacon on the table, which was difficult as there wasn't much room. Dudley, meanwhile, was counting his presents. His face fell. "Thirty-six," he said, looking up at his mother and father. "That's two less than last year."

"Darling, you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's here under this big one from Mommy and Daddy." "All right, thirty-seven then," said Dudley, going red in the face. Harry, who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, began wolfing down his bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over.

Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger, too, because she said quickly, "And we'll buy you another two presents while we're out today. How's that, pumpkin? Two more presents. Is that all right?" Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work. Finally he said slowly, "So I'll have thirty . . . thirty's . . ." "Thirty-nine, sweetens," said Aunt Petunia. "Er." Dudley sat down heavily and grabbed the nearest parcel. "All right then." Uncle Vernon chuckled.

Harry was angry with the little twerk, he closed his fist on the table. "What? Have something to say, four eyes?" said Durley as he noticed Harry's reaction, spitting some bacon over the table and Harry's food. Harry lifted himself from his chair and slapped the table with his hands."You're just a selfish fat pig wearing a wig!" Harry yelled out of his lungs. He left Durley surprised and before his uncle could scold him, he ran to his room under the stairs and locked the door.

He could hear his uncle all the way through the hallway cursing him, while Durley was crying. But he just rolled his eyes to his "Art of War" book which he had borrowed from the library. At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it while Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a video camera, a remote control airplane, he also got sixteen new computer games, and a VCR.

Durley while still crying was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia came back from the telephone looking both angry and worried. "Bad news, Vernon," she said. "Mrs. Figg's broken her leg. She can't take him." She jerked her head to Harry's room.

Dudley's mouth fell open to horror, every year on Dudley's birthday, his parents took a friend with him for the day, to adventure parks, to some of his favorite restaurants, or even to the theater to watch a movie. Every year, Harry was left behind with Mrs. Figg, a mad old lady that lives two streets away. Harry hated it there. The whole house smelled of cabbage and Mrs. Figg made him look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever owned.

"Now what?" said Aunt Petunia, looking furiously at Harry's room once again. "We could phone Marge," Uncle Vernon suggested. "Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the boy." The Dursleys often spoke about Harry like this, as though he wasn't there — or rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a slug. "What about what's-her-name, your friend — Yvonne?"

On vacation in Majorca," snapped Aunt Petunia. "We could just leave him here, for what he did. Yeah, lock him in his room." Durley put a shine smirk. Aunt Petunia looked as though it was a bad idea.. "I'll handle it." Vernon snarled. "Come on, darling." said Petunia, to Dursley. Harry was listening, or so they thought. "I hope you enjoy that, because you're gonna stay here until we return tonight.," said Uncle Vernon slowly digging small wooden boards at Harry's door.

Half an hour later, Harry, who couldn't believe his luck, was still lock in his small room under the stairs while the Dursley's where in the car ready to leave for the Zoo. Something Harry didn't know. 'I wish the house catched fire and some firefighters take me out in time to see the Dursley's faces as they arrive home' Harry thought rolling his eyes to the 89 page of the book, before closing it and putting it aside. He closed his eyes, turned around and went to sleep. Hoping he could catch a glance at the dream he had this morning.

Thunder

...lighting

...it was dark and cloudy

...a cringed sound

... like nails raking across a chalkboard

...it looked like an old house

...Avada Kedavra

...a green flash

...a woman screamed ...!

...Harry woke up overwhelmed by the dream. He never had that dream before in his life. He could almost smell the salty water over his chin and feel his wet hair on his pillow. When he rolled over to face the door, the sunlight hit him in the face. The door was half open. Did he really sleep for an entire day? Well, the Dursley's must be home already. Harry thought, as got up from bed.

"What time is it -" He asked, quickly to forgett the question, when he felt a piercing feeling in his right foot. Harry had just step on a nail, but thanks to his quick reactions. Harry's had noticed it, on time. So, the tip of the nail was the only thing that pierced his skin. He noticed all the other nails on the floor but ignore their importance and proceeded to the kitchen. His right foot was obviously bleeding, so he had left a trial of blood in the floor. After finding a few old clothes in the kitchen, slowly he covered the wound.

When he raised from the floor, he approached the sink and started cleaning his hands. Through the window he noticed a snake on the backyard tree staring at him, then the scar on his forehead started to hurt but he quickly ignored it and closed the tip of the sink. Sometime later, Harry looked at the clock it was almost 4:00 p.m. by 6:00 o'clock, he had already cleaned the blood and picked up the nails. And there was something that still bother Harry in the living room. But what was it?

He glanced at the fireplace, a little bit to his left was a table with a letter with a strange symbol. Harry picked it up and stared at it, his heart twanging like a giant elastic band. No one, ever, in his whole life, had written to him. Who would? He had no friends, no other relatives — he didn't belong to the library, so he'd never even got rude notes asking for books back. Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake:

Mr. H. Potter

The Cupboard under the Stairs

4 Privet Drive

Little Whinging

Surrey

The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink. There was no stamp. Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter H. "Who would write a letter to me?" He asked to himself out loud, since the Dursley weren't around to scold him.

He didn't open the envelope. He placed it inside one of his books from the library and continued to do his chores. Taking out the trash was no big deal for him. Except when it was time to pick it up from Durley's room. That pig was always eating in his room and never takes out the trash. It's been almost a week since Harry cleaned his room, he did on purpose of course.

To see if Durley would complain about it, but not a single word of complaint was heard over the week. When Harry opened the door the room was a mess. Everything was upside down and his underwear was everywhere, Harry later re-entered Durley's room with a click clotheslines, on his nose. After half an hour, he finished. Closing the door to the room, he put down four black bags of garbage, from what he had collected from Durley's room. Among some stuff from his cousin as well. Including some of Dudley's favorite shirts, which Harry didn't bother to put aside.

The garbage bags were heavy, he approached the stairs and slowly he began to drag the bags downstairs. He wasn't going to fall down the stairs, not today. Almost Halfway Harry started to listen to some strange noises. It was like someone was whispering, into his ear, but in another language. To his surprise he could hear it just fine. The voice has a deathwish for him. It was like it wanted to suck the life out of him by mere words.

Harry slowly glanced at his left hand which was resting over the stairs edge. The long, thin, legless reptile which Harry saw in the backyard tree was crawling over his hand. The snake was calling for something, "Death. To the boy who lived." Harry couldn't believe that the snake was talking english. But in reality it was speaking Parseltongue, which Harry doesn't know about yet.

The snake wasn't too big nor too small just the appropriate size of one so young. It was a black-grey Rattlesnake, very venous indeed. Harry knew this from his reading. He does all he could, to not move a single inch of his body. But the snake knew what it wanted, it continued to crawl, up to the back of his neck, which made Harry reacted and his feet slipped as he falls down the stairs. He felt the world spinning around, as he reached the bottom of the stairs. His glasses fell from his face, but he manages to find them. But with bad luck one of his lens was shattered. He noticed that the table next to the stairs had fallen down along with a hold antique figure of Petunia's family.

"Uh, no. Uncle Vernon is gonna kill me." He remembered the snake and searched for it. Not to far from him, the snake was pinned down by one of the garbage bags. Harry ran to his room and looked for a jar. He came back and carefully capture the snake. He closed the Jar tightly and stared at it for a while. He suddenly jumped out scared, when he heard the Dursley's car outside in the front yard.

He ran quickly to his room, and placed the jar next to his bed. He returned to the door to great them maybe they won't scold him again. Is that even possible. Uncle Vernon was the first one to enter the house. The first thing he looked was the disaster behind him Harry before starting on him. He was so angry he could hardly speak. He grabbed Harry by the hair and managed to say, "Go — cupboard — stay — and no meals," before he collapsed into a chair, and Aunt Petunia had to run and get him a large brandy.

Harry lay in his dark cupboard much later, wishing he had a watch. He didn't know what time it was and he couldn't be sure the Dursley's were asleep yet. Until they were, he couldn't risk sneaking to the kitchen for some food. He also needed to feed his guess, which he was keeping next to his books. He had left his books aside and had admired his magical friend all night. The rattlesnake had not spoken all night or move at all, the snake just stared at him, with bright red eyes.

"I've been thinking about it." said Harry, waiting for a reply but the snake still didn't move. "While you're here, I will need to called you by a name. Do you have a name?" Asked Harry, he approached his index finger to the glass and the snake quickly tried to attack him. "I guess not. What about Tom? That's a cool name for a snake. Do you like it?" the snake finally made a non-agressive move and raised her head looking at him. It didn't move. Just stared at him. Harry just remembered the book, he looked for it. "Here it's." the letter that was directed at him. He opened the letter with widened eyes.


	2. Another Road

Harry stood silent as he read.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress

Surprise by the letter he looked over at Tom, who was staring him back, "This must be fake, right? Magic isn't real." Harry said, but this made Tom replied back. "Snakes are not supposed to talk to people either." The red eyed creature words made him want to believe in magic. "Is there a way to contact them?" Harry asked. Tom just nodded at him. "Could you tell me?" He asked, swallowing up the fear that it may just be a dream. His reptilian roommate nodded sideways.

"You will need to get there by yourself. If you can get to central London. That is." Tom said. "But we are in Surrey, southeast of England. Its to far to get there on foot." Harry scratched his head, thinking on the matter at hand. Harry turned around and took a look at the page that came in the letter but it wasn't helpful. It was just the school materials he needed to buy.

The boy who lived, thought for a couple of seconds with his eyes on the roof and hands below his pillow. 'If I'm a wizard. It would explain all these weird things that have been happening to me all this years.' He closed his eyes, 'There's a chance that my parents were wizards, as well.' Harry opened his eyes and sits up on his bed taking the little grey cloak he had put over Tom's jar.

"Tom, you must be a magical snake, right? You come from the same world of magic. So, I was wondering..." Harry was on a talk spread with no breaks but Tom had to intervene and make him know the stakes.

"Don't be naive. I'm not your friend or pet. I'm only here because the jar is somehow blocking my magic." Harry flinched his shoulders, "I know you tried to attack me, but you're a snake so it's to be expected. Wait. How are you talking if the Jar is blocking your magic?" He was left a bit confused. "The presence of being raised by Muggles is strong in you. I'm not using magic to talk. You're talking my language. The language of snakes, Parseltongue." Tom said glaring at the boy green eyes.

Harry's head exploded, there were so many questions, like fireworks and he couldn't decide which to ask first. After a few seconds he stammered, "Tom, the letter says, they await my owl? What do they mean." Harry asked, showing Tom the letter. "You need an owl to send your reply back to Hogwarts."

Harry did have that question in the back of his head as well. How was that this snake knew so much about the wizarding world, what was his story. But this wasn't the time nor the moment for that, he needed answers related to his parents beforehand. "Tom, is there some kind of police station or any type of government for wizards? What about this, International Confed. of Wizards?"

"I already told you. You would need to get to central London before you can even contact them." Harry finally snaps, "Wait. Why are you telling me all of this? What do you gain from this?" Harry wasn't stupid, he had read a lot and even if it was a snake it was acting very nice, to much to say at least.

"I'm hoping you let me go, after all of this." Tom said, rolling his body toward's the Jar's lid. "I'm sorry, Tom. That's not gonna happen. You're my only ticket out of this dump." Harry gets out of bed and out of the cupboard under the stairs, heading to the kitchen, on its way he picks up a brown jacket his size. On the mean time, Tom was slightly moving in the Jar, but before the Jar could drop on his bed, Harry arrived with his new jacket and a backpack.

"What are you gonna do?" Tom asked, as he saw Harry putting some clothes and books on his backpack along with a Mobile cellular telephone model SUF1608A. Tom looked slightly inside the backpack, "Did you stole that Muggle money?" Harry raised an eyebrow, "What is a Muggle? and no. I didn't steal it. I borrowed. I plan on giving it back. Someday." Harry picked up his pack back and Tom's Jar, "Let's Go." said Harry.

"Where?" Ask Tom. "There's a lot to walk before we can even get a cab. So, let's not waste any time." Harry shut the front door, he walked slowly on the yard. He didn't want the Dursley's to wake up, and catch him, on the act. Under the night's sky, Harry walked the streets of Surrey. Hoping to find out more of his parents and why did they left him with people such as the Dursleys. Did they have another choice? He wondered.

Six Hours Earlier...

Seventy nine points and two miles away from Surrey, in the ceremonial county south-west of England. Whiltshire, a place with both Muggle and magical settlements. He turned right, into a wide driveway that led off the lane. Yes, the owner of the old manor at the end of the valley. The high hedge curved with him, running off into the distance beyond the pair of impressive wrought-iron gates barring the man's way... the source of the noise proved to be nothing more than a pure-white peacock, stirring majestically along the top of the hedge. Lucius Malfoy was home.

A handsome manor house grew out of the darkness at the end of the straight drive, lights glinting on the diamond-paned downstairs windows. Somewhere in the dark garden beyond the hedge a fountain was playing...The hallway was large, dimly lit, and sumptuously decorated, with a magnificent carpet covering most of the stone floor. The eyes of the pale-faced portraits on the walls followed Lucius and Dobby as they strode past.

The first born child of the Malfoys was in her room, she was cleaning her white blonde hair, while looking herself in the mirror with those sharp grey eyes, as she combed her hair. "I'm not gonna tell you again, Lucius." Draco could hear her mother's voice acrossed the hall, she ignored it and continued attending her shoulder-length hair. But even if she ignored her parents discussion, her eyes wavered in fear. "Draco, should attend Durmstrang Institute. It would be a place where she will learn the family legacy. Besides is a school only for pure-bloods." Lucius fronted onto his wife.

"I'm not gonna send our only daughter to a school far away, the only reason you want to send her there is because they taught the Dark Arts, she is going to Hogwarts. End of discussion." Narcissa lifted her long black dress and approached her daughter's room. Lucius maybe the man of the house and the one that make decisions in public, but in the house it was Narcissa who had the final word regarding their daughter. There was something that made Lucius softer on the manor, was it his family or was it pride in being a father.

"Darling, are you there?" ask Narcissa, knocking at her room's door. "You can come in, mother, I'm almost done." said Draco putting the hair brush aside. Narcissa opened the door, going in, she saw her daughter with crossed legs next to the mirror, sitting on a small bench. Before Draco could ask her mother something, she started to brush her hair again. She then noticed a smile on her mother's face through the mirror, she did her best to smile back.

Suddenly, Lucius came in barking, "Draco, we're running late. So get a move on. I don't want to be late." Lucius looked a Narcissa, but quickly change his view, "I'll be waiting on the hall." He gulped and closed the door. Narcissa put the hair brush aside, as Draco got up from the bench. "Thanks, Mom." Narcissa kissed Draco's forehead before she left the room. "Bye, Mom." said Draco, " See ya later sweetheart." replied Narcissa from inside her room.

Later that Night...

Harry's plan had work so far, he got a cab to the nearest train station and from there he took a train to central London. A trip that took him more than two hours. As Harry walked downtown London, he was quite surprised actually. Everything was bigger and it smelled awful. He looked upon Tom to guide him, "Where to now?" Harry asked, holding the Jar close to his face between his hands. The people walking next to him looked at him very strangely. "Hey! You! Boy!" shouted an old police officer from the other side of the streets.

"Run, Kid. Run." said Tom, but as soon as Harry tried, the black haired police officer grabbed him by his right shoulder. "Are you lost, kid? Where are your parents?" Harry noticed that the man was going to call in on his radio. "They are around here somewhere." Harry quickly replied. "How so? Where are they then? You can't be walking the streets at night alone." He asked again. This wasn't good for Harry, not at all. He didn't want to return to the Dursleys once again. "I need to call them, is there a telephone booth nearby."

The man sighed. More trouble for a day's work. He then took taken Harry to the nearest Telephone booth. As Tom told Harry; The Ministry of Magic uses telephones booths as the visitor's entrance, which transports them from ground levels to the Atrium on floor B8. If what Tom told him is true, then he can't let a Muggle see him do that. Harry froze and the officer noticed his reaction.

"Are you alright, kid? Did you forget the number?" ask the man wearing the uniform. "Can I have a little privacy, please." said Harry very modest. Making the traffic policeman looked at him with crossed eyebrows, and turned around. The policeman turned around and noticed that what the boy was holding a snake on a jar. At that moment, the snake winked at him making him turn around quicker than lighting.

Talking about a lighting, the boy that had one as a scar on his forehead, asked Tom, "What now?" The snake turned to him, "Dial 6-2-4-4-2..." Harry did as instructed and by the time the policeman muggle turned around, he was left clueless. Where was the kid? Was he seeing ghosts? "I need a cup of coffee." He told himself walking away.

Level 8 - The Atrium

Harry had arrived at the Atrium, he was standing at one end of a very long and splendid hall with a highly polished, dark wood floor. The peacock-blue ceiling was inlaid with gleaming golden symbols that were continually moving and changing like some enormous heavenly notice board. The walls of each side were panelled in shiny dark wood and had many gilded fireplaces set into them.

Every few second a witch or wizard would emerged from one of the left-hand fireplaces with a soft whoosh; on the right-hand side, short queues of wizards were forming before each fireplace, waiting to depart. In short words it was a lobby or reception room for the visitors and employees.

"Excuse me, sir? ...Where can I...?" Harry tried to ask but even do he was still a kid, people around him ignore him going by their daily lives. The Ministry of Magic was a very busy place. Then it was there when he came across a blonde white haired girl around the same age as him. They bump into one another, she looks at him from head to toes, she took a good look at his old clothes and she concluded that he isn't worth her time.

She wasn't going to start a discussion, specially if someone like him was a muggleborn, just by looking at his clothes she decides to move on, while her long hair barely touches Harry's face. Leaving Harry overwhelmed by her beauty.


	3. Diagon Alley

Harry stood stunned for a couple of seconds, before he knew it she was gone. 'Who was she?', he asked himself. After a brief second a portly little man, with rumpled grey hair appeared behind Harry. He was wearing a lime green bowler hat a company by a pinstriped cloak, Harry didn't know what to make of this man. He saw him from head to toe, 'Oh. No.' he thought, was he a police officer.

"Mr. Potter. How good to finally meet you. Name is Fudge. Cornelius Oswald Fudge. I'm the Minister of Magic." The man said, courteously extending his own hand towards young Harry. Harry didn't know if to be scared or happy about this encounter, you could see a sweat drop dropping from his chicks. "How ...how did you know my name, sir?" ask Harry moving his own little hand to shake his.

"Don't worry about formalities, Harry. Every wizard in history has had a "Trace". A charm which allows the Ministry to track underage magic user." Harry's face froze up, this guy was the law and he was already under vigilance.

"Don't make that face, don't worry. It's only for those under seventeen years of age. Which think they can cause trouble. You aren't a trouble maker, are you?" Fudge asked the boy firmly.

"No, sir." Harry answered.

"Good. Come on along, then, we have much to talk about." Fudge said, taking the lead to his office as he Harry followed behind him. The boy noticed, above all, the big hallways and rooms full of workers that every now and then turn around to looked at Harry strangely, this was uncomfortable for the young wizard.

Fudge left Harry in his office, as he went to great someone outside. Harry puts down the jar on the desk before sneaking through the office's window, he saw a man with a yellowish white air, he was standing next to the same girl he saw earlier when he arrived. Harry saw fudge give the man some kind of pergament, but he couldn't tell what it really was. A couple of seconds later, Fudge arrived at his office. "Sorry for the wait, Harry. Where were we?" The man sat down on his desk, but Harry noticed his hands were shaking and Fudge took a glance at the boy and he hide his hands below the desk.

"Sir, who was that man?" Harry asked, Fudge expected this after he was just an eleven year old with curiosity.

"He's the owner of the Malfoy Apothecary, a business run by the affluent pureblood Malfoy family. He sells products such as Superior Red, a brand of red wine matured for thousands of years. A very well known fella among the wizard community." Harry couldn't know if he was actually praising his work or is what that he just fear the man.

"Now if you could, please kindly removed that snake from my desk, Mr. Potter. Before we go on." asked Fudge, but Harry doesn't seem convinced by his answered. He was hiding something, Harry just knew as Tom nodded to him as he pick up the Jar.

"Father. Why did I have to come?" Draco asked. "You spend too much time close to your mother. If you're to be some day the head of the family, you'll need to know how the business works." Lucius fronted as usual as he walked alongside his daughter. "Father. I know this is sudden, but I would prefer mom's company, tomorrow." Draco said without looking at his father, this made him stop. "Why so sudden?" Malfoy asked, curiously about his daughter's decision.

"I have reasons." she said. Mr. Malfoy just sighed, he didn't want to discuss Draco's favoritism over her mother against her. "Well, I'll be seeing you after you return home, then." answered Lucius leaving the ministry of Magic along his daughter. Not very often Lucius wanted to find time for her, but she always found a way to make it impossible.

Diagon Alley

As expected, Fudge connection to Dumbledore, allowed Hagrid to pick up and take Harry to Diagon Alley to make his purchases for his first year. After exiting the Gringotts bank, "Harry, you can buy your robes there." Hagrid told Harry as they were arriving at Madam Malkin's shop. "I'll be right back ...I need to take care of some stuff. Here take Tom." Sure, the giant man was chilling and full today, Harry just nodded in response as he grabbed the jar he wonder why was Hagrid so happy today.

Harry entered the shop. As Hagrid walked away from there, two familiar witches passed next to him. "We need to get your robes come on, sweety" Narcissa said, glancing at Madam Malkin's shop, Draco walked in first into the shop. Her mother on the other hand, stay behind looking for something in her purse. "I can't find it." she said to herself.

Inside the shop, it seemed quite empty, some robes hanging on the pegs along the side walls and empty counter's – that's almost all to be seen. Harry noticed that Madam Malkin was nowhere in sight, there were no assistants either. He turned around and saw himself looking at a mirror.

Draco's seen happy as she entered the shop, much like Harry, she noticed there wasn't anyone in it. She felt annoy by the presence of having to wait. This was it. This was what destiny had in store for them. Draco moved her head a little to the right and saw a boy reflected on a mirror. It was him, she thought, the same one with the untidy black hair, glasses, and green eyes. They were exactly as Draco remembered, from that day. But she knew that the boy was beneath her, as such just by looks alone, you could notice he was wearing Muggle clothes.

Actually, he was the only one she could see in the shop, who by the look of things, was trying some clothes on, but those robes would never fit him. She thought before approaching him. "Hogwarts?" The girl asked in a tone which didn't bother to be flat or high. "Yes." Harry replied turning around, just to see the same girl from that day but now she had her hair made into a ponytail. "That's a cool snake you have there." she said curious about it, only slytherins liked snakes and her whole family have been in Slytherin.

"Thanks. He says he likes you too." Harry said without remembering that only a few wizards could talk to snakes. "You can talk to it?" she asked. "He haves a name, is Tom." Harry said. "Well, Hello there, Tom. I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy," she replied bowing a bit, Harry noticed a bit of sarcasm in her.

Before Harry could introduce himself to her as well, Madam Malkin came scowling them both. "Hey kids, don't touch the robes." she came out of the back part a bit molested, maybe she was having a bad day. Who knows.

After a while, Madam Malkin tossed black Hogwarts robes over Potter and covered him, dressing him in proper Hogwart ropes exactly like Draco. She already had her ropes on. Draco took a deep breath. The first meeting with someone was critical. She wanted make a good impression of herself and not misbehave, ladies aren't supposed to behave like that in public, at home it was fine but her it was a big "no", she did learned from her mother.

Thinking about her mother, Draco walking side to side in the store she started to wonder why was her mother not here, where did you ran out too. "Hey! You never told me your name." she annoyingly asked. "Sorry. I'm Harry Potter. " the boy said, guessing that girls would normally behave like that. That answered made Draco's eyes widened, she knew from her father that the famous Harry Potter was coming this year to school, but she never imagined that he was the first student she would meet. She needed to get a hold of herself.

Draco took a deep breath, she knew he was a half-blood, and his fame made Draco feel obsessively bitter and jealous. She felt a envious touch, "Nice to meet you, Potter." Draco replied, being careful not to sound jealous or anything. Harry Potter replied to her with a smile. Draco continued "So, are you excited to begin classes at Hogwarts?" "Yes." Potter said. He looked excited, then rather sheepish suddenly. "I, well, I didn't know about Hogwarts till last night." It dropped like a bombshell to Draco's she almost fainted.

Draco thought he had grown up with Muggles, by the look of his clothes, she hadn't realized the Muggles had failed to tell him anything about the wizarding world. "Is to be expected. I suppose you were raised by muggles?" Draco began to spread her ego. "Yeah, Hagrid told me about it." Potter seemed to shrink his shoulders. Even without doing that Draco was still a bit taller than him. "I see." Draco was honestly curious about the boy.

Before they left the store, Draco filled him in some info about the wizarding world, from brooms to the Floo network as they wait for the school robes. Harry went for his pocket, which Draco noticed biting her bottom lip, he was clearly holding a bag of gold. Potter turned to Madam Malkin and asked, "How much for casual robes?" He bought some normal clothes to get out of his cloths. Draco watched Potter carefully. Her eyes lit up. After they pay for their clothes they exist the store, of course Draco had no money in her so it was put in his father's account.

Now Harry looked formal with his grey pants and black long sleeve shirt. Draco seemed to explain any question that Potter had, the more questions Potter asked, the more enthusiastic she became. Draco noticed the shy, timid shell cracking and the real Harry Potter coming out. Draco stood amazed, this was not what Draco expected. This Harry Potter wasn't at all as she expected, he didn't have an inflated ego, nor was he angry and bitter. He was truly humble, it could have been the time she spent with her mother what really made her soft on the inside.

Clearly, Harry didn't hate her, a Malfoy, which are well known by the wizarding world as followers of the Dark Lord, before he fell from power. As Draco walked with Harry trailing behind her, "Have you gotten your wand yet?" Draco asked. As much as she wanted to brag or yelled, those feelings within her couldn't come out when she was next to him, Harry nodded sideways. "No. Have you?" he answered. "No. I was supposed go to Ollivanders with my mother after we bought my ropes, but she seems to have disappeared. Would you like to accompany me?" Draco asked.

"Oh," Harry said, looking a bit stunted. "I'm supposed to meet, Hagrid!" Harry's whole face lit up like a lighthouse but with a huge smile. Draco turned around to see the half giant standing behind them. "There you're, Harry!" Hagrid greeted, "I got sidetracked, sorry about that." Harry nodded sideways, "Is fine, she helped me out with my ropes." turning to Draco. Hagrid noticed Draco next to Harry. "Who's the little missy?", he asked "She is my friend Draco." Harry answered, which made Draco's cheeks blush red.

"So you know Hagrid, the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts." She said grinning a bit, someone like him as a friend could be useful. Specially in later years, if she ever needed to get away from Hogwarts. "Yeah! I see, you know him. He brought me here to get my school stuff," Harry said, clearly thrilled. She grinned back at Harry,

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," Draco said smoothly, moving her delicated hand towards Hagrid. Hagrid looked somewhat confused. Draco managed to keep her face smooth as the man's huge hand shook hers, almost knocking her over. "Are you gonna be starting at Hogwarts with Harry this year?" he asked little Mrs. Malfoy. "That's correct." she said. Harry noticed that Hagrid didn't seem pleased by the news. Harry was retelling their meeting in the robe shop to Hagrid, who began to wearily eye Draco. She was smart girl for her age, he needed to warn Harry, but she was still present.

"Can we go to get my wand now, Hadrig?" Harry asked before Hagrid could ask something. "That's where Draco is heading and she asked if I could go with her." Draco watched Hagrid closely. He seemed to be thinking about something, maybe it was the fact that Harry had found a Malfoy above all others and seeing how happy Harry was, he couldn't say no to him. They continued down the alley towards Ollivander's shop. Draco's eyebrows were raised up, she was becoming annoyed already about the fact that her mother had gone missing, where in the bloody hell had she gone to.

As they walked Harry's wished he had eight more eyes... There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments Harry had never seen before, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon. A lot of new things to see, and experience along with his new friend. Draco.


	4. Secrets

As they went on, they bought the school books in a shop called Flourish and Blotts where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books as large as paving stones bound in leather; books the size of postage stamps in covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books with nothing in them at all. Even Draco, got her hands on some of these. Hagrid almost had to drag Harry away from Curses and Countercurses (Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue- Tying and Much, Much More) by Professor Vindictus Viridian.

"I was trying to find out how to curse Dudley." He said.

"I'm not saying, that's not a good idea, but you're not allowed to use magic in the Muggle world except in very special circumstances," said Hagrid. They almost left Draco behind, for Hagrid it would had been a blast if Harry would just ignore her and leave her there, however, she ran out of the bookstore, with a few books of her own.

"Ah, anyway, you couldn't work any of the curses yet, you'll need a lot more study before, you get to that level." Hagrid wouldn't let Harry buy a solid gold cauldron, either ("It says pewter on his list"), but they got a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope.

Then they visited the Apothecary, which was fascinating enough to make up for its horrible smell, a mixture of bad eggs and rotted cabbages. Barrels of slimy stuff stood on the floor; jars of herbs, dried roots, and bright powders lined the walls; bundles of feathers, strings of fangs, and snarled claws hung from the ceiling. While Hagrid asked the man behind the counter for a supply of some basic potion ingredients for Harry, Harry himself examined silver unicorn horns at twenty-one Galleons each and minuscule, glittery-black beetle eyes (five Knuts a scoop). Outside the Apothecary, Draco was waiting for them, Hagrid checked Harry's list again.

"Can we get our wands now?" ask Draco impatiently.

"The wands of course- Yeah, and I still haven't got Harry a birthday present." Harry felt himself go red. "You didn't tell me it was your birthday, Potter." Interrupt the little missy excited. Harry stood silent.

"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt leaving the two of you alone for a couple of minutes. Tell you what, Harry. I'll get your animal. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago, yeah, you'd be laughed at" murmured Hagrid.

"I agree," said Draco. Hagrid raised an eyebrow after agreeing with a Malfoy. "I don't like cats, they make me sneeze. I'll get you an owl. All the kids want owls, they're dead useful, carry your mail and everything." Hagrid continued alone to Eeylops Owl Emporium.

"By your expression, I bet you don't get a lotta presents from those muggles." She didn't expect an answered, she already could tell the answered. Harry wasn't about to answered either. She bites her lips, Harry was acting timid and it was getting awkward again. 'Better change the aubject.' She thought as they arrive at Ollivanders.

Ollivander's Shop

"Ollivanders have the best wands. Or so my father says." A magic wand... this was what Harry had been really looking forward to. The last shop was narrow and shabby. But after seeing the peeling gold letters over the door, he read Ollivanders, Harry smiled at this relief.

Draco read, "Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C." They saw a single wand lay on a faded purple cushion against the dusty window. A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside.

It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair that Draco sat on to wait. Harry felt strangely as though he had entered a very strict library; he swallowed a lot of new questions that had just occurred to him and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling.

For some reason, the back of his neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic. "Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Harry jumped. Draco must have jumped, too, because there was a loud crunching noise and she got quickly off the spindly chair.

An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop. "Hello," said Harry awkwardly. "Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Harry Potter." It wasn't a question. "You have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work." Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Harry. Harry wished he would blink. Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy.

"Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favored it - it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course." Mr. Ollivander had come so close that he and Harry were almost nose to nose.

Harry could see himself reflected in those misty eyes. "And that's where..." Mr. Ollivander touched the lightning scar on Harry's forehead with a long, white finger. "I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly. "Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands... well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do..." He shook his head and then, to Harry's relief, spotted Draco.

"A Malfoy! Lucius Malfoy! How is your father doing?...eighteen inches, Elm, dragon heartstring, is it?" "It's, yes," said Draco. She was not to happy about it. If Harry knew that her father was a follower of the dark lord, she may not befriend him at all. She still wounder why Hagrid has not tell him yet.

"Good wand, I'll get yours first Miss. Malfoy." said Mr. Ollivander, suddenly stern. "Er - yes, please, do," replied Draco, sighing in relief.

"I've, yes, try this one, ten inches, Hawthorn, unicorn hair." he added brightly. Draco grabbed the wand with her left hand, but sadly nothing happened.

"Maybe, this one..." He opened another box, "10 inches, Walnut, dragon heartstring." said Mr. Ollivander sharply. Harry's eyes widened as he saw his friend cover in a green light.

"Your aunt carry's a very similar wand." said Mr. Ollivander quickly.

Harry noticed that she gripped her books very tightly as he spoke. "Hmmm, dark times are ahead." said Mr. Ollivander, giving Draco a piercing look.

"Well, now- Mr. Potter. Let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?" "Er - well, I'm right-handed," said Harry.

"Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Harry from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head. As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Mr. Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand." Harry suddenly realized that the tape measure, which was measuring between his nostrils, was doing this on its own.

Mr. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes. "That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, Mr. Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. just take it and give it a wave." Harry took the wand and (feeling foolish) waved it around a bit, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of his hand almost at once. "Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try -" Harry tried - but he had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr. Ollivander. "No, no -here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out." Harry tried. And tried. But no light appeared.

The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become. "Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere - I wonder, now - - yes, why not - unusual combination -holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple." Harry took the wand.

He felt a sudden warmth in his fingers. He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls.

Draco yawn and slowly, "Finally." She sighed. Mr. Ollivander looked at her and cried, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well... how curious... how very curious... " He put Harry's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious... curious.. "Sorry," said Harry, "but what's curious?" Mr. Ollivander fixed Harry with his pale stare.

"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather - just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother why, its brother gave you that scar."

Harry swallowed. "I think we should be going now, Potter." Said Draco.

"Yes, but know that thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember... I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter... After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things - terrible, yes, but great." Harry shivered. He wasn't sure he liked Mr. Ollivander too much. He paid seven gold Galleons for his wand, before Draco dragged him out by the arm away from the shop.

Diagon Alley

Twenty minutes later, they met Hagrid who was leaving the Eeylops Owl Emporium, which had been dark and full of rustling and flickering, jewel-bright eyes. Harry now carried a large cage that held a beautiful snowy owl, fast asleep with her head under her wing. He couldn't stop stammering his thanks, sounding just like Professor Quirrell. "Don' mention it," said Hagrid gruffly. Draco just let out a small grin, she remember that her mother would had never got her anything like that.

The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Harry, Draco and Hagrid made their way back down Diagon Alley, Draco turned around as she heard a small faint pop coming from down the road. When Harry and Hagrid turned around they saw a tall, slim, "nice looking", and very pale, woman. But the first thing Harry notice was her long blonde and black hair, he knew it had to be Draco's mother.

"Draco, come here." She said with a cold voice. "I guess this is goodbye, then." Harry gulped. "See ya at Hogwarts." She waved away, walking towards her mother, briefly Hagrid started sneezing. "Your right, Hadrig?" Asked Harry confused. But this brought a smirk to Draco's face, her mother had bought her a black kitten.

"Who's that kid? And why were you talking with that Half-breed giant?" She asked, crossing her eyebrows. Draco picked up the black kitten, before addressing her mother. "We've a lot to talk about at home." She looks into her mother eyes, and without any doubts she ask, "Can we go now?" she looked back over shoulders and smiled at Harry before aloud crack was heard and they disappeared from view, in an instant.


	5. No Way! You're my What!?

Harry and Hagrid made their way back through the wall, back through the Leaky Cauldron, now empty. Harry didn't speak at all as they walked down the road; he didn't even notice how much people were gawking at them on the Underground, laden as they were with all their funny-shaped packages, with the snowy owl asleep in its cage on Harry's lap. Hopefully, Harry had to hide Tom, from Muggles view, he was still sleeping in the jar. He didn't need a commotion.

Up another escalator, out into Paddington station; Harry only realized where they were when Hagrid tapped him on the shoulder. "Got timed for a bite to eat, before your train leaves," he said. He bought Harry a hamburger and they sat down on plastic seats to eat them. Harry kept looking around. Everything looked so strange, somehow. "You all right, Harry? You're very quiet," said Hagrid.

Harry wasn't sure he could explain.

He'd just had the best birthday of his life - and yet - he chewed his hamburger, trying to find the words. "Everyone thinks I'm special," he said at last. "All those people in the Leaky Cauldron, Professor Quirrell, Mr. Ollivander, Draco... but I don't know anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things? I'm famous and I can't even remember what I'm famous for. I don't know what happened when Vol-, sorry - I mean, the night my parents died." Hagrid leaned against the table.

Behind the wild beard and eyebrows he wore a very kind smile. "Don't you worry, Harry. You'll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the beginning of Hogwarts, you'll be just fine. just be yourself. I know it's hard. Yeah've been singled out, and that's always hard. But you'll have a great time at Hogwarts - I did - still do, a matter of fact." Hagrid helped Harry on to the train that would take him back to the Dursleys, then handed him an envelope.

"Your ticket for Hogwarts, " he said. "First of September - King's Cross- it's all on your ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys, send me a letter with your owl, she'll know where to find me... See you soon, Harry." Before Hagrid turnes around Harry's face weight guilt in plain sight.

"Hagrid ...I've not explained this to my relatives. I..Er...I kind of ran off the house... is... a long story, can you accompanied me?" Hagrid knew that Dumbledore was waiting for the stone on his pocket, so, he hesitated. "Sure, sure Harry." He looked at him with crossed eyebrows, why would he lied to the minister of magic.

Hagrid went and bought a train ticket for himself. The train pulled out of the station, and Harry and Hagrid found an empty compartment to sat down, "Well, tell me all about it.", until now he thought he had to change Tom's backstory otherwise they wouldn't allow him to keep Tom, which he did, because he wanted to discover Tom's secret. He blinked and the train had left the station.

Malfoy Manor

The untouchable iron gates turned intangible as both mother and daughter went through them. The sun had died down, it was almost nightfall. The floor of the mansion squeaked, each time, they took a step forward. The pictures on the walls did not bother to look and present a greeting to the lady of the house.

Draco dropped her purse on the table and sat down by the fireplace. She took a book from the table, its cover read, Curses and Countercurses (Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue- Tying and Much, Much More) by Professor Vindictus Viridian.

Her huge eyes continue to read through the pages, wondering, that perhaps her mother would have forgotten, she really didn't want to talk about it, it was just an excuse to leave that place. She read, "Leg-Locker Curse (Locomotor Mortis), Effects: Binds legs." She bites her lips, wondering very curiously as to why Harry wanted this book. Draco crossed her legs covered with red and black leeggings and an attached black skirt, while shifted the page.

Narcissa Malfoy, came to the drawing room, where Draco was reading. She leaned on the door's margin and knocked on the wall softly. "Where were you today?" Her question had a bit of salt on it. It was disgusted, and angry, resting her right hand on her waist, she asked again, "Who was that kid?"

Draco closed the book and place it on the table before complaining. Of her bag, she pulled out a small black box, and she put it down on the table beside the book. "Honey, haven't you even opened your father's gift?" Miss. Malfoy's voice had changed, this time it was more sweet and softer. Draco looked at her mother's eyes and nodded sideways.

"Draco, I'm not gonna ask again." Narcissa crossed her arms, waiting for her daughter's answered, she was just opening the gift and small sparkle of golden neckless could be seen, but she let go off the box top immediately, at that moment the black kitten had entered the room running into Draco's arms.

She looked at her mother again and answered, "His name is Harry Potter." she caressed the cat, looking at her mother's expressive shock face. "Did you say Harry Potter?" her eyebrows closed deeper into madness. "Are you crazy?" she stepped a foot forward. Draco froze, she didn't answer at all. "It's that boy's fault that the dark lord is gone!" She shouted, it was true that she didn't care about him, but her family carry a history, a dark history.

"But Mom..." she was quickly interrupted.

"No buts, I won't allow any further relationship between the two of you!" Her screams send the house-elf (in the room) running across the hall. "I promise you that your father will not approve!" Her rant continues, knowing the danger her daughter will be placed, in the near future if this continues. But she acted indifferent.

"Oh, but I do." Lucius Malfoy was in the room, he closed the door to the elf's behind him. "This is perfect." claimed Mr. Malfoy. "What are you saying?" ask Ms. Malfoy. "Darling, go to your room, now." her father expressed, without questioning she obeyed. "Oh, don't forget your things." As Draco returned to get her books, he places his walking stick in her forearm.

"Tell Mr. Potter, I expect great things from him." He let out a small and quick smile before facing his wife. "What do you though on doing, Lucius?" Narcissa asks before taking a seat. "After all Harry is Draco's cousin, she will find this valuable someday."

Her eyelids blink, because that was all she saw and heard, before her father closed the door of the room.

4 Privet Drive

Harry's last month with the Dursleys wasn't fun, not after he returned along with some "freak" accompanying him, as uncle Vernon barked towards Hagrid when they arrived. Hagrid had to bend Vernon's shotgun in half and give a pigtail to Dudley to make them listen to reason. Harry was amused by the events that he didn't notice that Dudley was now scared of them, when Hagrid left, he wouldn't stay in the same room, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon did shut Harry in his cupboard again, force him to do shores, and shout at him - in fact, they did this the whole month for Harry stealing his Aunt money.

Half terrified, half furious, Harry didn't got much to eat either, his plate was always empty. Although once a day Vernon gave the boy a small breath piece and a glass of water, he even had to share his food with Tom and his owl, it became depressing after a while.

Harry ended up locked up in his room, with his new owl for company. He had decided to call her Hedwig, a name he had found in A History of Magic. His school books were very interesting. He lay on his bed reading late into the night, Hedwig swooping in and out of the open cage as she pleased. It was lucky that Aunt Petunia didn't come in to vacuum anymore, because Hedwig could have escape into the house at anytime if she was to open the cupboard door. Then it would had been a mess.

Every night before he went to sleep, Harry ticked off another day on the piece of paper he had pinned to the wall, counting down to September the first. On the last day of August he thought he'd better had to speak to his aunt and uncle about getting to King's Cross station the next day, so he tried to push the cupboard door open and to his surprise it had been open this whole time. He walked to the next room where they were watching a quiz show on television.

He cleared his throat to let them know he was there, and Dudley screamed and ran from the room. "Er - Uncle Vernon?" Uncle Vernon grunted to show he was listening. "Er - I need to be at King's Cross tomorrow to - to go to Hogwarts." Uncle Vernon grunted again. "Would it be fine if you gave me a lift?" Grunt. Harry supposed that meant yes. "Thank you." He was about to go back to the cupboard when Uncle Vernon actually spoke.

"Funny way to get to a wizards' school, the train. Magic carpets all got punctures, have them? After all you can actually make money magically disappear from a purse." Harry didn't say anything, but knew that he had to pay them back someday. "Where is this school, anyway?" "I don't know," said Harry, realizing this for the first time. He pulled the ticket Hagrid had given him out of his pocket. "I'll just take the train of platform nine and three-quarters at eleven o'clock," he read.

His aunt and uncle stared. "Platform what?" "Nine and three-quarters." "Don't talk rubbish," said Uncle Vernon. "There is no platform nine and three-quarters." "It's on my ticket." "Barking," said Uncle Vernon, "howling mad, the lot of them. You'll see. You just wait. All right, we'll take you to King's Cross. We're going up to London tomorrow anyway, or I wouldn't bother." "Why are you going to London?" Harry asked, trying to keep things friendly.

"Taking Dudley to the hospital," growled Uncle Vernon. "Got to have that ruddy tail removed before he goes to Smeltings." Harry woke at five o'clock the next morning and was too excited and nervous to go back to sleep. He got up and pulled on his jeans because he didn't want to walk into the station in his wizard's robes - he'd change on the train. He checked his Hogwarts list yet again to make sure he had everything he needed, saw that Hedwig was shut safely in her cage, and Tom was awake.

"Ready, Tom?" Harry asked. "I wouldn't miss it. Just remember, they don't allow snakes on Hogwarts." Tom replied, looking into his eyes. "I'll hide you." Harry's idea wasn't that assuring.

He paced the room, waiting for the Dursleys to get up. Two hours later, Harry's huge, heavy trunk had been loaded into the Dursleys' car, Aunt Petunia had talked Dudley into sitting next to Harry, and they had set off. They reached King's Cross at half past ten. Uncle Vernon dumped Harry's trunk onto a cart and wheeled it into the station for him. Harry thought this was strangely kind until Uncle Vernon stopped dead, facing the platforms with a nasty grin on his face.

"Well, there you are, boy. Platform nine - platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don't seem to have built it yet, do they?" He was quite right, of course. There was a big plastic number nine over one platform and a big plastic number ten over the one next to it, and in the middle, nothing at all.

"Have a good term, with those freaks." said Uncle Vernon with an even nastier smile. He left without another word. Harry turned and saw the Dursleys drive away. All three of them were laughing. Harry's mouth went rather dry. What on earth was he going to do? He was starting to attract a lot of funny looks, because of Hedwig, but at least Tom was safe inside the trunk. He'd have to ask someone.


	6. King's Cross Station

Harry stopped a passing guard, but didn't dare to mention platform nine and three-quarters. He just asked for direction towards platform nine instead. Harry's heart was beating uncontrollable. Probably because the guard would had never heard of Hogwarts before and Harry couldn't even ask Tom, he started to get annoyed, Tom was sleeping and the muggles would not like an eleven year to be carrying a snake around without any parents supervision.

According to the large clock over the arrivals board, he had ten minutes left to get on the train to Hogwarts and he had no idea how to do it; he was stranded in the middle of a station with a trunk he could hardly lift, a pocket full of wizard money, and a large owl on plain sight.

Hagrid must have forgotten to tell him something you had to do, like tapping the third brick on the left to get into Diagon Alley. He wondered if he should get out his wand and start tapping the ticket inspector's stand between platforms nine and ten.

At that moment a group of people passed just behind him and he caught a few words of what they were saying. "- packed with Muggles, of course -" Harry swung round. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair. Each of them was pushing a trunk like Harry's in front of him - and they had an owl. Heart hammering, Harry pushed his cart after them.

They stopped and so did he, just near enough to hear what they were saying. "Now, what's the platform number?" said the boys' mother. "Nine and three-quarters!" piped a small girl, also red-headed, who was holding her hand, "Mom, can't I go... " "You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first."

What looked like the oldest boy marched toward platforms nine and ten. Harry watched, careful not to blink in case he missed it - but just as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him and by the time the last backpack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.

"Fred, you next," the plump woman said. "I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?" "Sorry, George, dear." "Only joking, I am Fred," said the boy, and off he went.

His twin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done so, because a second later, he had gone - but how had he done it? Now the third brother was walking briskly toward the barrier he was almost there - and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't anywhere. There was nothing else for it.

"Excuse m...," Harry try to say to the plump woman, put someone placed a hand on his shoulder. Harry jumped turning around to face a familiar one.

"Hello, Potter" she said. Harry's worries were suddenly gone, Draco had found him.

"First time at Hogwarts, dears? Ron's new, too." The plump woman pointed at the last and youngest of her sons, after noticing the wizarding robes the blond girl was wearing. She did not notice her right away as a malfoy, something she could have come to regret later on.

Ron was tall, thin, and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose. "Yes," said Harry. "The thing is, I don't know how to-" "How to get onto the platform?" she said kindly, and Harry nodded. Draco knew this but decided to follow Harry's lead. She was anxious to tell him the news later on the train.

"Not to worry," she said. "All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron." "Er - okay," said Harry. "Don't worry, come on." Draco held on to Harry's trolley, ready to push it around, but Harry stared at the barrier. It looked very solid. They started to walk together toward it. People jostled him on their way to platforms nine and ten.

Harry and Draco walked more quickly. Harry was going to smash right into that barrier and then he'd be in trouble - leaning forward on his cart, he broke into a heavy run leaving Draco a bit behind- the barrier was coming nearer and nearer - he wouldn't be able to stop - the cart was out of control- he was a foot away - he closed his eyes ready for the crash -It didn't come... he kept on running... he opened his eyes.

A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, eleven O'clock. Harry looked behind him and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it, He had done it. A couple of seconds after, Draco came along as well.

Platform Nine and Three-Quarters (Platform 9¾ )

"How was it?" Draco asks, "The wall experience?" Harry rolled his eyes sideways, he felt kind of funny, "I want to barf...", He said. "Eww...don't." Draco claimed. But Harry was just messing around and started laughing. "Not funny." She punches him on the shoulder, "Aww, that hurt." Harry said. Draco took a look at him, "Did the muggles fed you? You look a lot thinner than last time I saw you." Harry didn't comment at all. "They didn't!?" Draco was pissed. Harry lowers his head.

"I better tell my father to go pay them a visit." Draco fronted, "Forget about it." Harry said, he grabbed his trunk and headed for the train, Harry saw as smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and there between their legs.

Draco tried following him, however, her father was calling at her from the other side of the station where she noticed owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scrapping of heavy trunks. "Have you done, as told?" ask Lucius. "Yes father." she said. "Excellent." he replied, she looked sideways not really to satisfy with it.

The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. Harry pushed his cart off down the platform in search of an empty seat. He passed a round-faced boy that was saying, "Gran, I've lost my toad again." "Oh, Neville," he heard the old woman sigh. A boy with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd. "Give us a look, Lee, go on." The boy lifted the lid of a box in his arms, and the people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg. Harry pressed on through the crowd until he found an empty compartment near the end of the train.

He put Hedwig inside first and then started to shove and heave his trunk toward the train door. He tried to lift it up the steps but could hardly raise one end and twice he dropped it painfully on his foot. "Want a hand?" It was one of the red-haired twins he'd followed through the barrier.

"Yes, please," Harry panted. 'A few seconds late, and he would had notice Tom,' Harry thought, if he hadn't put a blanket over Tom's jar, (which he had taken out of the trunk) he would had been bust.

"Oy, Fred! C'mere and help!" With the twins' help, Harry's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment. "Thanks," said Harry, pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes. "What's that?" said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at Harry's lightning scar. "Blimey," said the other twin.

"Are you "He is," said the first twin. "Aren't you?" he added to Harry. "What?" said Harry. "Harry Potter, "chorused the twins. "Oh, him," said Harry. "I mean, yes, I am." The two boys gawked at him, and Harry felt himself turning red. Then, to his relief, a voice came floating in through the train's open door. "Fred? George? Are you there?" "Coming, Mom." With a last look at Harry, the twins hopped off the train.

Harry sat down next to the window where, half hidden, he could watch the red-haired family on the platform and hear what they were saying. Their mother had just taken out her handkerchief. "Ron, you've got something on your nose." The youngest boy tried to jerk out of the way, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose. "Mom - geroff" He wriggled free.

"Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?" said one of the twins. "Shut up," said Ron. "Where's Percy?" said their mother. "He's coming now." The oldest boy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes, and Harry noticed a shiny silver badge on his chest with the letter P on it. "Can't stay long, Mother," he said.

"I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves -" "Oh, are you a prefect, Percy?" said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise. "You should have said something, we had no idea." "Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said the other twin. "Once -" "Or twice -" "A minute -" "All summer -" "Oh, shut up," said Percy the Prefect. "How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?" said one of the twins.

"Because he's a prefect," said their mother fondly. "All right, dear, well, have a good term - send me an owl when you get there." She kissed Percy on the cheek and he left. Then she turned to the twins. "Now, you two - this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've - you've blown up a toilet or -" "Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet."

"Great idea though, thanks, Mom." "It's not funny. And look after Ron." "Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us." "Shut up," said Ron again. He was almost as tall as the twins already and his nose was still pink where his mother had rubbed it. "Hey, Mom, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?" Harry leaned back quickly so they couldn't see him looking.

"You know that black-haired boy who was near us in the station? Know who he is?" "Who?" "Harry Potter!" Harry heard the little girl's voice. "Oh, Mom, can I go on the train and see him, Mom, eh please..." "You've already seen him, Ginny, and the poor boy isn't something you goggle at in a zoo. Harry smiled at himself at the comment. By now he couldn't hear the rest, so he uncovered Tom, but such a bad luck, he was still sleeping.

Is he really, Fred? How do you know?" "Asked him. Saw his scar. It's really there - like lightning."

"Blamey - I think that was Mr. Malfoy's daughter with him, I wondered. She was ever so polite when Harry asked us how to get onto the platform." "Never mind that death eater spawn, do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?" Their mother suddenly became very stern. "I forbid you to ask him, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though he needs reminding of that on his first day at school." "All right, keep your hair on." A whistle sounded.

"Hurry up!" their mother said, and the three boys clambered onto the train.

They leaned out of the window for her to kiss them good-bye, and their younger sister began to cry. "Don't, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls." "We'll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat." "George!" "Only joking, Mom." The train began to move.

Harry saw the boys' mother waving and their sister, half laughing, half crying, running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed, then she fell back and waved. Harry watched the girl and her mother disappear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window. Harry felt a great leap of excitement. He didn't know what he was going to but it had to be better than what he was leaving behind.

The door of the compartment slid open and the youngest redheaded boy came in. "Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing at the seat opposite Harry. "Everywhere else is full." Harry shook his head and the boy glanced quickly noticing the jar on his hands, "Hey, is that a snake!? Snake aren't allowed at Hogwarts! You're definitely gonna be a murderous Slytherin!" mumbled Ron with crossed eyebrows. Harry was left shock.


	7. Not my Friend!?

Aboard the Hogwarts Express!

Ron sighed and sat down. He glanced at Harry and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending that Harry didn't hear him. The air between them wasn't pleasant. Harry saw that he still had his eyes on the jar. "I'll take it to Percy, he will get rid of it." Ron said grabbing onto the jar lying on Harry's hands. "What are you doing?" Harry asked, he didn't want to let go of the jar, and the struggle began. With a twist of fate the jar fell down smashing itself against the floor, letting Tom out, he uses its body to slide out of the compartment once the doors open again.

"Hey, Ron." The twins were back. "Listen, we're going down the middle of the train - Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there." "Watch out!" yelled Ron. "Is a bloody snake," said the other twin, "George, called Percy. I'll lead it away from the compartments!" said Fred running down across the hall. "You two stay here." George slid the compartment door shut behind him.

"Be careful," said Harry and Ron. "Tom," Harry mumbled to himself, in disbelief. 'Why did he run away?' He thought. But Harry remembered well, what Tom said, "Don't be naive. I'm not your friend or pet. I'm only here because the jar is somehow blocking my magic." That flashback hurt him a lot more than Dursley's punches over the summer.

"So are you really the Harry Potter?" Ron blurted out. Harry nodded. "Oh -well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes," said Ron. "And do you really got - you know..." He pointed at Harry's forehead. Harry pulled back his bangs to show the lightning scar. Ron stared. "So that's where You-Know-Who "Yes," said Harry, "but I can't remember it." "Nothing?" said Ron eagerly.

"Well - I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else." "Wow," said Ron. He sat and stared at Harry for a few moments, then, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he looked quickly out of the window again. 'Better to not get to attached, there is still the possibility of Harry been put in Slytherin, but is he the successor of the Dark Lord? He couldn't be, right? He sure didn't look like it.' Ron thought.

"Are all your family wizards?" ask Harry, who found Ron just as interesting as Ron found him. "Er - Yes, I think so," said Ron. "I think Mom's got a second cousin that is an accountant, but we never talk about him." "So you must know loads of magic already." The Weasleys were clearly one of those old wizarding families, but Harry didn't knew that.

"I heard you went to live with Muggles," said Ron. "What are they like?" "Horrible -well, not all of them. My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd learned magic earlier, and burn down their house."

"That's what a Dark Wizard would do." said Ron.

For some reason, Harry was looking gloomy, and Ron decided to change the subject.

"I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left - Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat." Ron reached inside his jacket and the fat gray rat, which was asleep, was not there anymore.

"Scabbers is gone! That useless, rat!" Ron looked at Harry worried, "Maybe you left him in the trunk?" Harry commented but Ron ignored his comment, "He hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff- I mean, I got Scabbers instead and now he's missing!." Ron's face went red. He seemed to think he'd said too much, but now with a snake lose in the train, what were they gonna do?

"I believe is best for us to stay here, where its safe and let George and Fred get Scabbers back." This was the safes rout to take, and Harry made the right call. "Mom is gonna kill me. I can't afford an owl." Ron's face was gonna turn purple at any minute. "What if that snake eats Scabbers!?" Harry didn't think there was anything wrong with not being able to afford an owl. " After all, he'd never had any money in his life until a month ago, and he told Ron so, all about having to wear Dudley's old clothes and never getting proper birthday presents.

This seemed to calm and cheer Ron up. "... and if it wasn't for Tom, I wouldn't had known anything about being a wizard, my parents or Voldemort. I own him, from saving me from my uncles." Ron gasped.

"What?" said Harry. "You said You-Know-Who's name!" said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed. It even slipped his mind that Harry just mentioned a Malfoy. "I'd have thought you, of all people -guess the rumors maybe true"

"I'm not trying to be brave or anything, saying the name," said Harry, "I just never knew you shouldn't."

"See what I mean?"

"I've got loads to learn... I bet," he added, voicing for the first time something that had been worrying him a lot lately, "I bet I'm the worst in the class."

"You won't be. There's loads of people that come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough." Ron rolled his eyes out the window.

They had been talking and they forgot about the time, and sooner than later the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past. Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?" Harry, who hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to his feet, but Ron's face went red again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches. Harry went out into the corridor.

He had never had any money for candy with the Dursleys, a matter of fact, he never had any candy at all, and now that he had pockets rattling with gold and silver he was ready to buy as many Mars Bars as he could carry - but the woman didn't have Mars Bars.

What she did have was Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs. Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and a number of other strange things that Harry had never seen in his life. Not wanting to miss anything, he got some of everything and paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts.

Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. "You know, Percy told me that the cart lady is actually a ghost, but she looks normal to me." Harry fronted, "What?" "He also told me that she guts anyone that tries to leave the train before arriving at the station." There was a weird silence between them, Harry just didn't know how to answered him.

There were four sandwiches inside Ron's lumpy package. He pulled one of them apart and said, "She always forgets I don't like corned beef." "Swap you for one of these," said Harry, holding up a pasty still confused and a bit jumpy about what Ron shared with him. Clearly it wasn't the sandwiches.

"Go on -" "You don't want this, it's all dry," said Ron. "She hasn't got much time," he added quickly, "you know, with five of us." "Go on, have a pasty," said Harry, who had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with. It was a nice feeling, sitting there with Ron, eating their way through all Harry's pasties, cakes, and candies (the sandwiches lay forgotten).

"What are these?" Harry asked Ron, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. "They're not really frogs, are they?" He was starting to feel that nothing would surprise him. "No," said Ron.

"But see what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa." "What?" "Oh, of course, you wouldn't know - Chocolate Frogs have cards, inside them, you know, to collect - famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy." Harry unwrapped his Chocolate Frog and picked up the card.

It showed a man's face. He wore half- moon glasses, had a long, crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard, and mustache. Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore. "So this is Dumbledore!" said Harry. "Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!" said Ron. "Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa - thanks Harry turned over his card and read: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel.

Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling. Harry turned the card back over and saw, to his astonishment, that Dumbledore's face had disappeared. "He's gone!" "Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day," said Ron. "He'll be back. No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her... do you want it? You can start collecting."

Ron's eyes strayed to the pile of Chocolate Frogs waiting to be unwrapped. "Help yourself," said Harry. "But in, you know, the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos." "Do they? What, they don't move at all?" Ron sounded amazed. "weird!" Harry stared as Dumbledore sidled back into the picture on his card and gave him a small smile. Ron was more interested in eating the frogs than looking at the Famous Witches and Wizards cards, but Harry couldn't keep his eyes off them. For some reason his head hurts each time he looked at the chocolate frog card.

Soon he had not only Dumbledore and Morgana, but Hengist of Woodcroft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe, Paracelsus, and Merlin. He finally tore his eyes away from the druidess Cliodna, who was scratching her nose, to open a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. "You want to be careful with those," Ron warned Harry.

"When they say every flavor, they mean every flavor - you know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and mar- malade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe. George reckons he had a boogerflavored one once." Ron picked up a green bean, looked at it carefully, and bit into a corner. "Bleaaargh - see? Sprouts."

They had a good time eating the Every Flavor Beans. Harry got toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine, and was even brave enough to nibble the end off a funny gray one Ron wouldn't touch, which turned out to be pepper.

The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone. Now there were woods, twisting rivers, and dark green hills. There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy Harry had passed on platform nine and threequarters came in. He looked tearful. "Sorry," he said, "but have you seen a toad at all?" When they shook their heads, he wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"

"He'll turn up, Ron here just lost his Rat pet and I lost a snake as well." said Harry. "What!? My toad is gonna get eaten, BY, by a snake!" said the boy miserably. "Well, is been a long time now, Percy, George and Fred have not come back yet..." The boy left in a hurry, after Ron's words.

"Don't know why he's so bothered," said Ron. "If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I lost Scabbers, so I can't talk."

The rat was still snoozing around on the train compartments, next to the student's trunks. "You owe him, Wormtail!" said Tom in disgust crawling on the floor. "You own him your life!." Scabber tried to rummaged around, finally he found one of the students trunks, but he didn't make it in time. The only thing Scabbers saw was a black giant shadow engulfed him completely, at the top of the shadow's entrance lay two silver spikes were hanging from it.

The compartment door slid open and the toadless boy was back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes. "Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth. "We've already told him we haven't seen it," said Ron, but then another girl that was listening, she came by, looking with crossed eyebrows at the bushy brown girl. She sighed.

"Oh, if it isn't the Mudblood. Lets see, Granger, was it?" She sat down next to Harry. Ron looked taken aback. "Er - a Malfoy." He cleared his throat. Draco placed her hand over Harry's hand, and said, "Do me a favor and stay away from Potter." She freely offered an evil smug, which everyone clearly noticed, except for Harry. Ron's face was purple again, a girl had grabbed his hands, not just any girl, but a Malfoy. This was the sign of a bad Omen.


	8. Friends, no matter what?

"George found Scabbers. Better not lose him to get yourself an owl." The red headed Prefect came bargin in handling over the rat to Ron and breaking the tension between the girls. "Even you Percy? Can't I get a break?" Ron lowered his head trying to hide his red cheecks. "Gotta go, and Ron try not to lose him again." Percy eyes widened when he saw how the rat wink at him, and his eyes had been different colors now that he thought about it. Could had been a bad spell cast by Ron who spend all the summer trying to turn him into different things, he thought.

"He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference," said Ron in disgust outloud. "I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work-" said Ron.

"Eww-" Draco waved her hands in disgust. "Keep it away from me. Disgusting creatures, Harry can we have Tom eat it?" Little Miss Malfoy's left out a smirked only Ron noticed.

"What?" Ron gasped. "Er-, Tom escaped." Harry replied not sure how to explained what had happened. It was kind of Ron's fault, but he didn't wanted to through away the moments they spend together learning about each other's family. He hoped to befriend Ron if possible. He had never had friends before, now that was a possibility.

"Who is Tom?" asked Hermione Granger standing next to Neville by the door.

"What do you mean by he escaped?" asked Draco in shock. "You mean the snake from the jar-" Neville said. "You brought a snake with you!?" Hermione ran out the door and pull Neville by his ropes. They were both gone in a matter of seconds.

"Thanks, Ron." Harry sat back with arms and eyebrows crossed. "Now I am gonna get in trouble."

"Who in the bloody hell was she anyway?" Ron asked putting Scabbers on his pocket. "That was Hermione Granger, a muggle born, by the way, who are you?" Draco knew for sure from his hair and old cloths that he was definetly a Weasley. Her father told her to never get involved with his kin. All of them were bad news and while they were purebloods their family was very poor.

Ron looked at Harry, and swallowed. He didn't like where this conversation was heading. Not at all.

"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered, not looking at her directly.

"Draco Malfoy," said Draco. "Weasley, can you look at me when I am talking? It's bad manners when talking to a lady." By now Ron knew she was asking for it, he noticed the humor in her words, and he decided to strike first.

Ron let out a laugh of amussement confusing both Harry and Draco, "Is something funny?" Draco asked.

"Just your name." Ron commented placing another flavor candy on his mouth. Harry didn't find the amussement Ron had found it, which was the opposite reaction that Ron was looking for. "What's wrong with her name, Ron?" Harry intervened.

"Didn't you notice, Harry?" Harry shaked his head both sides leaning forward. "Draco is a boys name if you didn't know." Draco rose from her seat and kicked Ron on the knee.

"What was that for? It hurt!"

"Draco is short for Dracognia the name mother wanted to give me, before my father refused because all he wanted was male heir." She sighed and headed for the door, dissapearing into the hallway.

"Monstrous witch! The Malfoy's always-"

"Ron, stop it. She's been nothing but nice since we met her and you can't denied that she has been very nice and polite to you too."

"But- that's just it! Don't you think she is acting a bit to nice? Is all part of her plan to recruite you or something else. Maybe she wants to take advantage of your fame!"

"And you don't?" Ron swallowed and sat back in silence.

"Don't judge people without getting to know them. You're acting like my cousin, and trust me Ron, he is bad news."

Time flew by, and neither spoke a word to each other, hours passed when Ron decided to break the ice.

"Look, did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the Daily Prophet, but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles - someone tried to rob a high security vault." Harry stared without saying a word.

"Can someone rob a bank with every magic outhere? Impossible I'd say!" Hermione had arrived taking a sit next to Ron. "Did they took something?" Harry finally snapped looking at Hermione.

"Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it."

Harry turned this news over in his mind. He was starting to get a prickle of fear every time You- Know-Who was mentioned. He supposed this was all part of entering the magical world, but it had been a lot more comfortable saying "Voldemort" without worrying.

Hermione had brought a lot of different subjects from school before Ron change them into a Quidditch discussion. He was just taking Harry through the finer points of the game when the compartment door slid open yet again, Hermione was leaving.

"You'd better put your robes on, you don't want to arrived and be the only two in the train looking like that." Hermione in a sniffy voice continued. "And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?" Ron glared at her as she left. Harry peered out of the window. It was getting dark. He could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down.

Both of them looked through their trunk and pulled on their long black robes. Ron's were a bit short, you could see his sneakers underneath them. A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

When they were done both kids joined the crowd thronging the corridor. The train slowed right down and finally stopped with a strong motion that send Ron forward on to a familiar witch shoulders who carried silver-blond hair.

"Excuse me." said Ron not realizing who it was.

"Y-You-" she almost yelled out of lungs and came to a stop when she saw who was behind the Weasley.

"Draco." said Harry stepping in.

"Potter, come." she grabbed his hand and pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the cold night air, and she noticed with her grey eyes looking back at him. Harry was about to keep the gaze longer when a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?"

Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads, and didn't like what he saw. Not one bit.

"C'mon, follow me - any more first' year? Mind yer step, now! First' year follow me!"

Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.

"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."

There was a loud "Oooooh!"

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black take. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore.

Draco had pull Harry into one of the first boat on sight and they were followed by Ron who wouldn't leave him alone with a Malfoy and another male student soon joined them. "Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then, onward!"

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Look!" said Ron, "Did you see it?" Harry, and the other student sitting next to him looked at each other and denied seen something with their heads.

"It was right there, by the water, something move. I am sure of it."

"Maybe the Kraken wants to give you a hug?" Draco mocked.

"What?" Ron quickly took his hand from the water.

"Didn't your family told you? My father told me that there's a giant squid living under the lake." Ron moved to the middle of the boat shivering.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid making Ron jump from fear as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face.

They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.

"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.

Harry looked back wondering where Tom had gone. He didn't felt betrayed since the snake was not his pet to begin with, but he felt a little bother that it didn't even said goodbye. Maybe he would return someday. But what was Tom planing thought Harry.

"Draco?" He spoke looking for her releasing that not even Ron was with him or the other student from the boat, they all had disappeared to somewhere else withing the crowd.

"Harry!" Ron stop to get some air, breathing heavily, "Blamey, I almost turned into waffle in the crowd."

"Ron. Have you seen Draco or Hermione?" Harry tried to look up in between the students walking up the stairs but he couldn't find them with his small figure. "Nope. Barely found you. Almost got lost back there."

They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, Oak front door.

"Scare?" Ron asked.

"A bit." said Harry.

"Me too." Ron placed his hands on his robes, "Scabbers is gone!" He turned to Harry shocked. "My mom is gonna kill me."

"I bet he will turn around again, Ron." They moved upward with the flow of the line with each step closer to the top.

"No matter in which house we are sorted in- promise me we can still be friends?" said Ron worried about been sorted into Hufflepuff or worse Slytherin.

"Promised." Harry smiled and Ron returned it back before they noticed Hagrid who had stop advancing. "Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?" Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

Close to the lake, at the bottom of the stone steps Scabbers had stop running, he moved slowly to the wall of the cliff and his shadow grew large taking the form of a thin tall man with a long cloack and short hair who's figure once again took another shape, this time it was that of a snake. Tom slided by two iron bars that lead inside the castle talking in Parseltongue.


	9. Sorting

The door swung open, and a tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Harry's first thought was that this was not someone to cross.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

She pulled the door open wide enough for everyone to fit at once. The entrance hall was ten times bigger that Harry imagined, you could have fit the whole of the Dursleys' house in it three times. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches, the ceiling was too high and too dark to see, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.

They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right -the rest of the school must already be here - but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together like in the stone steps, Ron nervously stood back and pull Harry with him.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room."

Harry already didn't like the idea of been seperated from his new friends. Why couldn't there be only one house? Was this some sort of competition? And he noticed that Ron's hand was shaking.

McGonagall continued.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

He suspected as much. This was gonna be diffucult with his all of that talk of "vanquisher of the dark lord" title bullcrap and all. Well, he was not going to give up and go back to the Durseley' he prefer to face this straight ahead instead.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose. Harry nervously tried to flatten his hair.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."

She left the chamber. Harry swallowed, "How exactly do they sort us into houses?" he asked Ron. "Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."

Harry's heart gave a horrible jolt. A test? In front of the whole school? But he didn't know any magic yet - what on earth would he do? He hadn't expected something like this the moment they arrived. He looked around anxiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified, too.

No one was talking much except Hermione Granger, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need. Harry tried hard to get to her maybe she would know what to do, but he kept his eyes fixed on the door. Any second now, Professor McGonagall would come back and lead him to his doom and the students wouldn't let him pass either.

Then something happened that made him jump about a foot in the air -several people behind him screamed.

"What the -?"

He gasped. So did the people around him. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance -"

Harry quickly made his way to Hermione, he heard the ghost talk about a Peeves fellow but he ignored it. Harry's attention was on the conversation whe one of the ghost mention "New students!" one of them was smiling and floating around them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"

A few people nodded mutely. "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the ghost. "My old house, you know."

"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall. "Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."

Feeling oddly as though his legs had turned to lead, Harry got into line behind a boy with sandy hair, with Ron behind him, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

"Harry." Draco said catching up to him. "Nervous?" she asked. Harry couldn't help himself and just nodded and she grabbed his hand. "Can you stop doing that?" Ron said from behind them, "I'll stop if he tells me to stop." She answered, but Harry froze with fear. He didn't want to cause a commotion, so he distracted himself with the scenary, he had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place existed.

It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sat. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting.

Professor McGonagall led the first years up there, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Harry looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars.

"Harry, remember when I told you that I wanted to tell you something back on the train?" she said, Ron came a bit closer to listen on the conversation. Harry quickly looked down again facing her only, "Y- Yes?" he said nerviously watching Professor McGonagall who silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat.

Maybe they had to try and get a rabbit out of it, Harry thought wildly, that seemed the sort of thing - Draco snapped her fingers in front of his face and she had his full attention.

"I wanted to tell you something I heard my parents talk about yesterday-" For a few seconds, there was complete silence in the hall and she stop talking before everyone heard her and Harry noticed that everyone was looking at the hat. Who twitched, and a rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth - and the hat began to sing.

Harry found it funny, it had to be magic. Maybe the text was a riddle? Draco pull his hand to talk to him, but he didn't looked at her. "Can we talk later?" he told her trying to focus on the song.

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.

"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to Harry. "I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll." Draco had to admit she laughed, the idea of the Weasley killing each other would please her father.

Harry smiled weakly. Yes, trying on the hat was a lot better than having to do a spell, but he did wish they could have tried it on without everyone watching. The hat seemed to be asking rather alot; Harry didn't feel brave or quick-witted or any of it at the moment. If only the hat had mentioned a house for people who felt a bit queasy, that would have been the one for him.

Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moments pause - "Hufflepuff!" shouted the hat.

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the same ghost from before waving merrily at her.

"Bones, Susan!"

"Hufflepuff!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah. "Boot, Terry!"

"Ravenclaw!"

Harry saw how easy it was. This text was not gonna hurt, after all. He found himself smiling with the other students who had finally lose their tention. The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.

"Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Harry could see Ron's twin brothers catcalling.

"Bulstrode, Millicent" the other boy who had been with them on the boat became a Slytherin. After all the bad things Harry had heard about Slytherin in the last two days he expected all of them to be different from the rest of the hall, but they looked like normal students that blend in like the rest. Even if he had the misfortune of been sorted there all alone without any friends, he didn't had to be like them or with them. He remembered the promised he made to Ron. Whereever the hat decided to put them they were gonna still be friends, he thought.

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"

"Hufflepuff"

Sometimes, Harry noticed, the hat shouted out the house at once, but with others it took a little while to decide. "Finnigan, Seamus," the sandy-haired boy in front of Harry in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor. Maybe there really was a text, he swallowed.

"Granger, Hermione!" Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head. "Ravenclaw!" shouted the hat. Ron sighed.

"And that will be the last will see of miss perfect." Ron commented, but Harry was to busy having this horrible thoughts. What if he wasn't chosen at all? What if he just sat there with the hat over his eyes for ages, until Professor McGonagall jerked it off his head and said there had obviously been a mistake and he'd better get back on the train? Back to the Dursley's home.

When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted, "Gryffindor," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag."

Draco grabbed Harry's robes, "I wanted to tell you that I heard my parents talking about us and how we are related." Ron's face fell at the news.

"What?" Harry scrathed his head. "We are distant cousins, supposely, at least that's what I heard father tell mother-"

"Draco Malfoy!" Professor McGonagall called.

Malfoy swaggered forward when her name was called leaving Harry with so many questions, and got her wish at once: the hat had barely touched her head when it screamed, "Slytherin!"

Malfoy went to join her house table, looking pleased with herself.

There weren't many people left now. "Moon" "Nott" "Parkinson" then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil" then "Perks, Sally-Anne" and then, at last - "Potter, Harry!"

As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.

"Potter, did she say?"

"The Harry Potter?"

The last thing Harry saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at him. Next second he was looking at the black inside of the hat. He waited.

"Hmm," said a small voice in his ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, A my goodness, yes - and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting... So where shall I put you?"

Harry gripped the edges of the stool. 'You're asking me? Is this a text? Isn't sorting your job?'

"Well," said the small voice. "You could be great in Slytherin, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that -"

'Please, get it over with.' Harry's hand were sweating by now.

"Well, if you're sure - better be Slytherin!"

Harry heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. He took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Slytherin table.

He was so relieved that at least he have been chosen and put in a house were he knew someone, he hardly noticed that he was getting cheers yet.

When he got closer he noticed that Draco was among them, but only the Slytherin table was cheering which made him feel rejected by the rest. The Slytherin prefect got up and shook his hand vigorously, and whispered to his ear, "Anything you need Mr. Potter, just come to me."

The Weasley twins on the otherside of the room had a serious look on their face, they were very worry about what Ron was gonna do.

Harry sat down when a ghost patted his arm, giving Harry the sudden, horrible feeling he'd just plunged it into a bucket of ice-cold water.

He could see the High Table properly now. At the end nearest him sat Hagrid, who caught his eye and was looking at him oddly. Harry smiled, and Hagrid grinned back with a nervious look. And there, in the center of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore.

Harry recognized him at once from the card he'd gotten out of the Chocolate Frog on the train. Dumbledore's silver hair was the only thing in the whole hall that shone as brightly as the ghosts. Harry spotted Professor Quirtell, too, the nervous young man that he briefly met on the Leaky Cauldron. He was looking very peculiar in a large purple turban, that is until he smiled. Harry payed no attention.

And now there were only three people left to be sorted. "Thomas, Dean," a Black boy even taller than Ron, joined Neville at the Gryffindor table. "Turpin, Lisa," became a Ravenclaw joining Hermione and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now. Harry crossed his fingers under the table and a second later the hat had shouted, "Gryffindor!" Harry looked disapointed, but Ron was eyeing him with a blank stare.

The twins clapped loudly with the rest as Ron collapsed into the chair next to Neville.

"Well done, Ron, excellent," said Percy Weasley Pompously across Neville as "Zabini, Blaise," was made a Slytherin. He walked to the table and sat next to Harry.

Zabini looked passed Potter's shoulders, and saw that Malfoy who sat six sits above Harry was staring at him. Zabini looked back at Harry, and smiled, "Nice to meet you, Potter." He extended his hand, and Harry shake it firmly to his surprise. If everything told about the boy-who-lived was to be takan as the holy truth, this outcome was not one that Blaise expected.

"Better watch out. Malfoy already has her eyes on you."

"She is my friend." Harry answered quickly, and Zabini cross his eyebrows.

"Did you know that he father was a follower of You-Know-Who before you destroyed him?" Zabini crossed his arms around his chest and continued with his serious face.

"Yes." Harry murmured.

"And?" Zabini said outloud.

"And, what?" Harry told him with an annoying pitch.

"Seriously? Her parents were loyal to the one who killed your parents, Potter. You don't need friends like her, I'll be your friend. I can help you." Zabini whispered sitting closely.

"I can pick my own friends, and right now you are clearly not near the bottom of that list."

"Move!" Draco made the first year sitting next to Harry to pissed off from his spot, and she sat there. Harry was surprised of how he left without talking back at her.

"Is Zabini bothering you, Potter?" She finally said as two tall fat students stood behind him. Zabini swallowed.


End file.
